Conservation — practice question

The flatback turtle, *Natator depressus*, is an endangered species that nests on beaches in northern Australia. Fig. 1.1 shows a flatback turtle. Each female lays about 50 eggs in a nest, which is fewer than in any other marine turtle species. The eggs are buried in sand and, when the hatchlings emerge, each has a mass of about 43 g. In contrast to most marine turtles, flatback turtles spend most of their time in coastal waters, where they feed and mate. Fig. 1.2 shows the number of female flatback turtles nesting on a beach in northern Australia from 1993 to 2002.